---
title: "1 Sobering Quotes By John Roberts"
description: "1 Sobering quotes by John Roberts. Plus more from John Roberts and more Sobering sayings from other authors."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-roberts-13892_certainly_it-s-sobering-to-think-of-the-seventeen_1834445.png"
---

> [It's sobering to think of the seventeen chief justices; certainly a solid majority of them have to be characterized as failures. The successful ones are hard to number.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/it-s-sobering-to-think-of-the-seventeen-chief-justices-certainly-a/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

[Image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/608/john-roberts-13892_certainly_it-s-sobering-to-think-of-the-seventeen_1834445.png)

## More by John Roberts

> [You can't fight for your rights if you don't know what they are.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/you-can-t-fight-for-your-rights-if-you-don-t-know-what-they-are/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [Judges have to have the humility to recognize that they operate within a system of precedent, shaped by other judges equally striving to live…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/judges-have-to-have-the-humility-to-recognize-that-they-operate/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [I will be vigilant to protect the independence and integrity of the Supreme Court, and I will work to ensure that it upholds the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-will-be-vigilant-to-protect-the-independence-and-integrity-of-the/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [If the Constitution says that the little guy should win, the little guy is going to win in court before me, ... But if…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-the-constitution-says-that-the-little-guy-should-win-the-little/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [There is no better gift a society can give children than the opportunity to grow up safe and free - the chance to pursue…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-no-better-gift-a-society-can-give-children-than-the/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [President Ronald Reagan used to speak of the Soviet constitution, and he noted that it purported to grant wonderful rights of all sorts to…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/president-ronald-reagan-used-to-speak-of-the-soviet-constitution-and/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [When I worked in the Department of Justice, in the office of the solicitor general, it was my job to argue cases for the…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/when-i-worked-in-the-department-of-justice-in-the-office-of-the/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [While some of the tales of woe emanating from the court are enough to bring tears to the eyes, it is true that only…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/while-some-of-the-tales-of-woe-emanating-from-the-court-are-enough-to/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [A chief justice's authority is really quite limited, and the dynamic among all the justices is going to affect whether he can accomplish much…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/a-chief-justice-s-authority-is-really-quite-limited-and-the-dynamic/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [If children do not understand the Constitution, they cannot understand how our government functions, or what their rights and responsibilities are as citizens of…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-children-do-not-understand-the-constitution-they-cannot-understand/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [I think judicial temperament is a willingness to step back from your own committed views of the correct jurisprudential approach and evaluate those views…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/i-think-judicial-temperament-is-a-willingness-to-step-back-from-your/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [There is a risk of death associated with donating a piece of liver. It's about one in 500 for the risk of death. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/there-is-a-risk-of-death-associated-with-donating-a-piece-of-liver-it/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [An important function of the Supreme Court is to provide guidance, .. As a lower court judge, I appreciate clear guidance from the Supreme Court.](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/an-important-function-of-the-supreme-court-is-to-provide-guidance-as/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [Justice Rehnquist was friendly and unpretentious. He wore scuffed Hush Puppy shoes. That was my first lesson. Clothes do not make the man. The…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/justice-rehnquist-was-friendly-and-unpretentious-he-wore-scuffed-hush/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

> [If it's a situation in which the public is being given access, you can't discriminate against the media and say, as a general matter,…](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/john-roberts/if-it-s-a-situation-in-which-the-public-is-being-given-access-you-can/)

[John Roberts](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/john-roberts/)

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